1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to modular furniture. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to upholstered furniture, including chairs, sofas, loveseats, and beds that are operably configured for removing and/or replacing one or more component of the furniture, such as arm rests, support legs, backs and sides.
2. Description of Related Art
Furniture, especially upholstered furniture, is typically manufactured as a single unit without the capability of changing the look. Styles change over time, however, and having the latest style furniture often means replacing the furniture as a whole. The purchase of quality upholstered furniture is an expensive endeavor for most consumers and is thus an investment most consumers will retain until the furniture wears out.
Slip covers are a very popular alternative to replacing furniture and can often result in updating or changing the overall look of the furniture. One-size-fits-most type slip covers cannot meet the needs of all consumers and accommodate the variety of furniture that is available. Additionally, even though slip covers are available as one-size-fits-most, slip covers will not provide a precise fit for every type of furniture and usually result in a compromise of one's aesthetic taste in that the overall look of the furniture is changed in a less than desirable manner. Slip covers also tend to give a more casual appearance to furniture, which may not be desired by consumers of more contemporary styles. Custom slip covers or re-upholstering of the furniture are alternatives, but may cost as much as replacing the furniture in some cases and so may not be a viable option. Re-upholstering the furniture may allow for specific components of the furniture to be replaced but the task requires skill and most consumers cannot do the replacing easily or conveniently. Thus, re-upholstering is often performed by an expert rather than the do-it-yourselfer.
Another way to change the look of furniture is to rent the furniture and replace one or more pieces when the consumer grows tired of it or the furniture wears out. One disadvantage of renting is that the overall cost of renting furniture is in most cases higher than making an investment in buying furniture. Another disadvantage is that if the consumer damages the furniture, it will cost the consumer extra to have it repaired or otherwise cover the cost of the damage. In any case, renting furniture does not allow for replacing specific components of the furniture.
Sectional type furniture is also available. This type of furniture allows the consumer to change the overall configuration of a piece of furniture but not the overall appearance. For example, some sectionals allow for a sofa with four seats to be modified to a loveseat having only two seats by removing two seat components from the sectional. Sectional furniture typically does not allow for only the sides, armrests, or legs of the furniture to be replaced with the same component of a different style.
An example of modular furniture that can be reconfigured by adding, removing or repositioning certain of the constituent components in order to change the appearance or functional capacity of the furniture is provided by U.S. Pat. No. 6,796,614, entitled “Modular Furniture Unit,” the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. This patent discloses furniture comprising a base with a plurality of slots for receiving a tongue portion of a furniture module for releaseably securing the furniture module to the base, where the slots are covered by a cover member and are revealed when needed to insert a module. The furniture can be reconfigured or reshaped by adding, removing or repositioning constituent furniture modules. What is lacking, however, is interchangeable modules having a variety of aesthetic appearances to provide for substituting one or more components with a similar modular having a different aesthetic appearance.
Other examples of modular furniture known in the art include that described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,380, entitled “Apparatus and Method for Forming a Frame for an Article of Furniture,” which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. This reference discloses a modular furniture system that allows the furniture unit to be disassembled, and even the covering changed. Conventional modular furniture requires that brackets be lined up and held in place while bolts are installed, making it difficult for an individual to complete the task without the assistance of an additional person. Thus, the process required to effect these changes is time consuming and possibly confusing to a homeowner who is not handy with tools.
Even further, U.S. Pat. No. 6,367,880, entitled “Modular Upholstered Furniture Construction,” describes a modular furniture system, comprising a base frame and a plurality of furniture modules including a first arm module, a second arm module, a backrest module and a seat suspension module, with a plurality of fastener assemblies having a stud member and an aligning receptacle bracket; one of said stud member and said bracket being secured to opposing locations of said base frame and at least one of said modules so that said modules may be positioned upon said frame by engaging said aligning receptacle brackets upon said corresponding stud members without the use of tools. Such stud/bracket combinations are difficult to assemble in that the stud members must be aligned exactly with the brackets in order to assemble the furniture correctly.
Modular furniture has additional limitations, including the types of materials that can be used. For example, glass block is a popular design element not often used in furniture. Upholstered furniture, including sofas and chairs, generally do not incorporate a glass block feature presumably because fabric and glass block are vastly different and as such typically require vastly different means for securing them within the furniture structure. Less frequent is the notion of lighted upholstered furniture, presumably because the upholstery typically used is purposely not transparent to hide the inner workings or structure of the furniture. It has been proposed to use lighted glass block in tables, however, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,181, entitled “Light Diffusing Glass Block Furniture,” the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference here in its entirety. Unfortunately, the reference does not provide guidance on how to incorporate lighted glass block into upholstered furniture, which is a challenging design conundrum in that in some circumstances a fire hazard may be presented.
What is needed is furniture that is modular in nature such that its component parts can be conveniently replaced with the same component of a different style. The modular furniture should be simple to assemble and allow for an unlimited number of style changes. Preferably, the modular furniture comprises kits with lighted glass block modules.